SOLIDWORKS 2018 – Smart Explode Lines

Have you ever been working on a complex assembly and created an exploded view, just to realize that you now have to perform the task of adding explode lines between each and every component? Dread no more, SOLIDWORKS 2018 has you covered! New to SOLIDWORKS 2018 is the Smart Explode Lines tool. This tool automatically adds explode lines for each component within your exploded view. Once they have been added, you can make some modifications to these lines, as well as delete ones that you’d like to not be shown all before you even accept the command. This new tool is sure to save you time and clicks!

With your exploded view already created, the Smart Line Tool can be used to create all of the necessary explode lines that you’ll need for your view. We’ll be working with this support frame below.

Now to automatically add the smart explode lines, click Exploded View in the CommandManager and select Insert/Edit Smart Explode Lines. Just like that, all of the explode lines are added to the exploded view.

Before accepting the new command, you can look down the PropertyManager and see that the default reference point is set to be the bounding box center of the components. Switching it to Component Origin will create explode lines that are located at the origin of the components. And lastly, changing to Selected Point will allow for the user to select a point, vertex, a sketch arc, an edge arc, or an edge line in which the explode line will be located at on each component.

With the PropertyManager still open, you can modify or delete the explode lines. You can either select components from the Components list in the PropertyManager, or directly from the graphics area to make changes. Once a component is selected, the component itself highlights to purple, along with its yellow explode line preview.

Modifications can be made to the explode line endpoints by dragging and placing the purple points of each component onto one of the locations mentioned above, which will automatically change the reference point to the Selected Point option.

With the component still highlighted purple, we can right-click and choose to delete the line from being created. Accept the command by hitting the green check mark, and the yellow explode line that was automatically created in our preview is now gone.

Upgrade to SOLIDWORKS 2018 today to use this brand new tool and save time with your exploded views!